


Tales of the Forgotten

by pikajo14



Series: The New Age series [1]
Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Universe, Blood and Gore, Friendship, Gen, Horror, Murder, Pain, Psychological Trauma, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2019-06-10 13:40:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 15,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15292740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pikajo14/pseuds/pikajo14
Summary: Sometimes we believe that we know someone, but do we really. What if Raditz was taken at a young age by what seemed to be a good person? What if Tarble and Vegeta also ended up in this hell hole? How will they escape a place built from their nightmares. Gets darker in later chapters. Please read author's note at the beginning.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was my first fanfic ever and it really isn't that good. I would say to read part two of it when I finish rebetaing it or on my fanfiction account under missjo1988. The chapters of this are short, just take into account that I used a different style back then and wasn't used to writing like I am now. As I said before, A New Age or book 2 is a lot better than book one, and is typed in a way that you don't even need to read this one to get what's going on since it does fill you in on what's happening. Anyway, if you wish to continue on, I hope you enjoy the first fic I put into a word document, lol. I should be adding a new chapter every few days since it's getting betaed and everything.

He walked slowly through the hall as he heard the screams echo. He knew to stay where he was, if he tried to get closer she would find him. He was numb at this point, having been here for the last 3 years. He saw faces come and go, others she had gained from her placement in society. No one would suspect that Zera, the daughter of the royal family, had such a dark side. He was used to the seeing the happy faces of the children who thought that their wishes had come true; children from poor families of ill repute, being placed in a house with a Princess, who had told them that their pain from the streets was over. Only to discover that it had just begun.

He remembered the day he fell for her tricks. When he too thought she was an angel, here to bless him from his misfortunes. Oh, how wrong he was.

Raditz was just a simple child, his father Bardock was a warrior for their home planet, Vegeta. Oh how Raditz missed his home, his family. His mother's warm heart, his newly born brother's cries in the morning, even his father's indifference towards him would be pleasant right now. He remembered the morning again, that fateful morning where his life, his innocence was taken from him.

He awoke that morning just like any other. His mother had made breakfast as his father prepared for an upcoming mission, his brother eating everything in front of him. His mother acknowledged his arrival, as his father ignored him. On his home planet strength was key, especially for boys who would grow to be the force that would not only protect their planet, but to conquer others. Raditz was not a fighter he had not the strength for it. Neither did he have the mentality for it. Those born with strong power levels and those who could become an ozzaru would serve the King. He was born without either of these qualities. While his younger brother had a low power level like he did, his brother could transform, making his brother Kakarot, his father’s favorite child. Raditz knew the moment that Kakarot was born he would be pushed further away. While his mother tried to give him some attention, he knew all eyes were on Kakarot. He was already a forgotten child, that’s how he got here.

He remembered saying goodbye to his parents, but they were distracted by his brother's cry for more food. It would be the last time he would see them, had he known what was going to happen he would have at least tried to hug his mother. He knew his emotion would be lost on his father, another reason for him to knock at Raditz's faults.

He remembered his walk to the school, well if you could call the child training center a school. Saiyans were taught their basic fighting skills there. He hated this place and the people around him. He was weak. He was not made to fight and he knew it. He would return home after another beating as he had before, or so he thought. Today would have been a good day to stay home.

As the children took to the inside of the building, a guest was waiting for them. It was Lord Frieza, their comrade in arms, with someone else. Someone who would be changing everything in his life. She smiled sweetly as all of the children gathered into the main room. Raditz was in squad 2C but was never included in anything of which the class was included. The trainers often stuck Raditz with an old stack of books left by the other, former, species of his planet. Over the years, Raditz had taught himself how to read the books and manuscripts. He found the books on biology to be his favorite. It was the only thing he had that gave him happiness during his youth.

That fateful day her eyes met his. He was at first taken with her kind face was, it was so different from everyone else. He was usually met with scowls or looks of indifference. His heart raced for the first time. He remembered Lord Frieza telling them all to take a seat at the tables while a hologram appeared on the screen at the front of the room. This was something new, this wasn’t battle related; it was a jarring mess of numbers and symbols. He turned to look at all his squad mates seeing their looks of utter confusion. Looking back to the screen his mind started going to work, he had seen these symbols before. In the books. Lord Frieza looked to the young woman and told the squad that those who did not understand the screen were dismissed to the fighting skills arena. The entire room erupted around him as everyone but himself stood and left. Frieza looked at him, confused. He knew that saiyans were not a smart species. He stood, making the frostian smirk thinking he was right about the saiyans as a whole. This is where Raditz made the move that would change his life forever. He walked up to the hologram and picked up the light pen and began to solve the problem. The female was smiling at him as he finished up. Looking at both frostians he saw Lord Frieza’s look of shock and the lady’s approval. She introduced herself to him; Lord Frieza’s sister, Lady Zera. She then expressed her need for him to leave Planet Vegeta. She wanted him to come with her and leave the planet. She wanted to expand his mind. He was shocked. He was ecstatic. He was a fool.

To Be Continued…


	2. Chapter 2

A new scream entered the hallway. Raditz knew it was time to make his way back to bed or be discovered. She didn't like finding her collection awake. He walked slowly as if not to make a sound. He knew her fury all too well. As he reached his bed, he heard another ear shattering scream.  He knew she was close. He tucked into his bed quickly, hearing the floor creak as she walked by his room. He kept himself still as he heard the door open. He felt her heated gaze on him. Slowly Raditz heard his door close, but he dare not move. He knew she would be waiting for him. All he had to do was make a slight movement and she would know. It was getting difficult as he was barely breathing. He could hear his own heartbeat as it slammed in his chest. He knew she could hear it. She could smell his fear. To his luck on this night, she began once again down the hallway to the next room.

He let go of the breath he was holding, giving in and gasping for air. Yes. How he wished he could tell himself that fateful day to stay away. That first day, that first dream...yea that's all it was. A dream.

* * *

Raditz could not believe his ears. This Lady wanted him. She thought he could be useful. Lord Frieza was still aghast at the sight. A smart Saiyan, who would have thought? Raditz felt a slight touch as she ran her finger through his long hair. He was not used to affection. Then, she asked him the fateful question which would seal his fate.

"You poor thing, why not leave this planet? Brother, you must give him to me. He needs a place for his mind to grow. Will it not rot on this rock?" She said not taking her eyes off of the child.

Lord Frieza looked at the saiyan child. He was thinking everything over, Raditz could see even then that the gears in the Frostian's mind were turning. He should have been afraid then, but he was getting affection. Something he rarely experienced. Raditz had made up his mind already.

"Can I leave with you?" He asked Lady Zera as he looked down at his feet. He hated his planet because he was different. He felt her gentle hand turn his face to meet hers. Her sweet smile greeting his eyes.

"Frieza, I trust you to inform his parents." She said taking his hand and leading him out of the classroom. If he had been paying better attention that day, instead of thinking of what appeared to be a saving grace, he would have seen the look in Lord Frieza's eyes, while noticing the mocking tone of the lord’s voice.

Raditz did not know what to think. Everything was happening so fast. She started walking faster, pulling harshly on his arm as they exited the training center. He let out a sharp cry of pain as she turned a corner with him. Zera stopped suddenly picking him up into her arms. He was confused with this behavior, the last time he was held like this was when he was a toddler. Her pace never slowed, even while holding him. As she made her way to her ship, he knew that his parents would be receiving the news after he was gone. It was normal for families to be informed after someone was sent out on a mission, heck his mother always said that when his father didn’t return home, it was due to being sent out on a mission. They would usually get the holo message the next day.

The ship was different from any ship he had ever seen. Saiyans normally only saw battle cruisers, but this was a luxury liner. It made sense really, with her status, but even the Saiyan royal family used battle cruisers. She smiled at him as they entered the main chamber of the liner setting him down on a bed that had to be bigger than his room.

“Sleep child, it will be a long journey to my home.” She said as she looked down at him.

At that moment it dawned on him that he was truly leaving his home. “Lady…?”

“Just call me Zera, Raditz.” She said, the smile seeming more sickening then it had been before.

“Zera, umm..well where are we going? What am I going to be doing?” Raditz said as he looked down to the sheets of the bed.

“You’re going to be learning my child, in my home. Now sleep.” She said softly as her voice got quieter and a soft melody began to play over the speakers.

Raditz felt his mind go groggy the sound was hypnotizing. It was soft, but at the same time he felt it pull on his consciousness. Before he knew it, he had passed out. The song playing over and over again. As he lay there in a state of slumber, she slowly began to pet his long locks of hair, while smiling to herself for obtaining her brand-new prize.

To Be Continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Raditz awoke to the early morning alert. He was used to it at this point. Over the last 3 year he knew what happened to those who ignored the sharp noise. Quickly moving around his room, he left for the washing center. Knowing how she hated it when her prey wasn’t clean.

As he exited his room, he noticed his neighbor’s door was ajar, stopping for a second he heard the bots cleaning up the evidence of what had happened to the boy. Raditz was used to this sight as well. He knew no one would question where the boy would be or where he could have gone to. The Lady was well informed on how to make it look like someone never even existed.

Moving on to the showering room he counted the heads of those who had survived the night before. The night before there were 16, now only 11 eleven were standing. The Lady only had a thing for taking boys, so sharing the wash room was not too embarrassing for her pets. Raditz believed it was the only mercy they received. Unlike the others who were talking as they washed, Raditz kept to himself. He knew making friends here was dangerous. Not knowing when their Lady would take their lives, it seemed that making attachments would not be in his interest. That and none of his fellow captives were the same as him. He was the only Saiyan here. Not that it would make a difference to him if there was.

Cleaning himself quickly and dressing himself in the protocol uniform provided to him. He left the washing room before everyone else and made it to his work station. As he made it to the door of the laboratory, he saw a sight that he had not seen in a long time. Lady Zera waiting for her children. He decided that it would be safer to get to his area to begin his work than to wait outside the glass door, she could already see him anyway.

“Oh, Raditz, you’re early this morning.” She said sweetly to him.

“Yes, Madam.” He knew answering her would keep him alive.

“So, my dear, have you finished your latest project?” She asked with a twisted glint in her eye, asking him if he had failed.

“It should be done today or tomorrow, my lady.” He said. Her smile grew.

“Oh, my child, I am so glad that I found you.” She said as she walked over and affectionately began to pet his long hair. “My father will be thrilled when that virus is complete. Now I leave you to your work. Also, where are the others my child?” She said as she began to leave.

Raditz wasted no time. “They are still in the washroom.”

He did not have to turn to know the look of twisted pleasure on her face. “Well, I can’t have they being late can I? Raditz?”

He froze, his mind hoping, praying that she would not punish him for their tardiness. He heard her steps as she walk behind him. He stopped breathing. His mind raced, she had only praised him before this and now he didn’t know what she was thinking, what she would do.

“Raditz, my dove, I think I need your help.” She said as she wrapped her arms around him. He was confused, was she not going to punish him? “Come my child, go gather up the others. Bring them to me.” She said whispering into his ear.

He was speechless. He didn’t know how to react. She was not going to punish him. She wanted him to help her punish the others. He knew what would happen if he refused. The pain, he would receive. He knew his answer already, he had no connection to the others. He nodded at the wall with her still behind him. With her face still close to his ear, she purred. “Good, now go get them.”

She released him, and he immediately left, heading down the hall. As he got to the door of the washroom he heard their laughter. He heard their jokes...about him. They were mocking him. Saying that he was a stupid monkey and wondering how he had gotten here. None of them had been here long, at the most two weeks. Yes, she would get what she wanted. He would deliver them to her. He opened the door to the washroom. He saw their looks of panic upon seeing the face of the person they had just been mocking.

“The Lady has requested all of us to be in the laboratory.” He said calmly. They all seemed to relax, the fools. They gladly followed Raditz to the Lab. As the door opened he saw her smile grow.

“Good morning everyone, I have already briefed Raditz on everything so why don’t I talk with the rest of you upstairs. Henzu will take you were you need to go.” She smiled as the group split as the maid led them out of the room, leaving Raditz alone with her once again. “Good work my child.” She said calmly petting his hair. “Sleep well tonight. I will be going out. We will need some fresh blood.” With that she left the room and Raditz to his work. 

* * *

Looking through his microscope, he congratulated himself. His project was a success. He walked over to his notes and began to write down the details for the scientist’s on the battlefront to replicate. He had been working on a bio-weapon for ongoing war. This wasn’t the first one he had created either. His study of the old Tuffle literature had given him enough of a background in biology. That was his craft and he knew it, as did his Lady. The first day he had landed here and had seen the lab, he was taken with the microscopes and petri dishes. In time, this pleased Lady Zera as he could make just about anything. Diseases, deadly gases, animals with biological modifications, they asked and he gave. As he finished his work, he cleaned up his station and left for his room.

He entered seeing his meal there with a note.

“Raditz my child, enjoy this meal, you have earned it.” He read her neat script. Looking over the meal to his surprise it was nothing but meat. Not just any meat but from Planet Vegeta, his home. She was praising him for doing her bidding. He decided to take the praise, it was rare. As he ate his dinner he thought back to his first day here and how much his life had changed.

* * *

He awoke, no longer on the ship. The bed he was on was not nearly as big as the one he had fell asleep on. He heard a sharp screech making him jump, he was no longer groggy and began to explore his surroundings. He decide to change his clothes and try to find where he was supposed to go. As he exited his room, Lady Zera was waiting for him.

“Oh, you are an early one, fantastic. Now come with me.” She said taking his hand. Raditz didn’t object, she was his savior after all. She lead him to the washroom were he saw 6 others cleaning themselves, all boys. “Today, I will let you slide on your hygiene, but every day after today remember to clean yourself before you work.” She said as she led him to the next area. His mind was confused, work, no one said anything about working. Working on what?

His questions were answered when she lead him to the large laboratory. His eyes grew as he stared at the place he had only seen in drawings before today. Behind him she was smiling at his reaction. “Do you like it, child?”

“I love it, Zera” He said looking over everything. Without warning he was then smacked hard over the head.

“It’s Lady Zera or Madam. You belong to me now.” She said dragging him from the room. He didn’t know where he was going. She opened up a hole in the wall with a code. His heart was racing as he entered a dark room. She smiled, only this time it wasn’t the kind smile he had witnessed before, instead this smile sent chills down his spine.

“I’m sorry…” He cried out as she laid him on a table. Her face looked more distorted as she grabbed a needle from a drawer by the table.

“Hush, child and receive your punishment.” She said it softly as she started treading the needle. His arms and legs locked into the shackles. He could see the dried blood next to his face. Closing his eyes ready for everything to be over, to wake up from this nightmare. He felt the something cut into his arm. His eyes opened as he saw a small knife digging into his skin and muscle. It took everything he had not to scream. Her smile growing wider as she cut deeper into his flesh. His teeth clenched as he bit into his cheek. Tasting blood. “Well, I see you have learned your lesson.” She said softly looking down at he wound. She grabbed the rusty needle and began to sew up his arm. He held down on his cheek trying not to make a sound. She finished, licking the blood off her hand. “Very good, my child. Now let this be known to you now. My rules are harsh. If you obey there will be no problems. If you don’t you will be punished.” She said darkly as she led him to a room past the torture area. It took every ounce of his being to not throw up at the sight before him.

Many others close to his age strung up. Some he knew were already dead. Others were in a state worse than death. The room was a mess of blood, organs, and cries of pain. His nose was burning from the smell of death, his eyes were fighting back the tears.

“Feel, lucky child. That you faced my wrath early. Most strike a cord with me after their free week is up.” Her eyes flashed at him. “Now the others you are stationed with are still in there week. If you tell them anything this will be your fate child, remember that.” She grabbed his wounded arm and dragged him out of the hellish room. She pulled him up to room where he had awoken. “This is your room child. At night I expect no noise. Tonight there will be no dinner for you, so I expect you to get ready for breakfast early tomorrow.” He nodded as he went into his room, he was about to climb into bed when she wrapped her arms around him. “I hope you sleep well my little Saiyan.” She said hugging him to her.

Raditz didn’t move, his heart stopped, his mind confused. As she left and he laid down for the night. He drifted to sleep after her presence left the room.

An hour later he awoke to a scream from down the hall. He froze in his bed, keeping his back to the door. Thinking to himself ‘what have I gotten myself into?’

To Be Continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Tarble waited in his room, his brother would return soon. He was excited for this trip, he was often left home due to his condition. Vegeta was the fighter. He on the other hand had been born with nothing. He was too weak, especially for someone of royal blood. He was a disgrace to his line, so much so that he was kept separate from everyone. The only people he saw throughout the day were his caretakers. Rarely, did he see his mother and father. His brother made more of an effort with him though so there was that. Vegeta wasn’t the most caring person he could ask for, but it was better than nothing.

His brother’s visits usually consisted of the two talking. Mainly about Vegeta’s training or Tarble’s day, which could be a boring subject. Sometimes, the older Saiyan Prince would bring his brother something from a conquered planet.

As of late, the younger prince found himself working with the computers which covered his room. He had gotten very good at taking machines apart and putting them back together. The reason he had learned this was due to the fact that his caretakers refused to fix his toys or anything of his. Tarble had learned to keep his mouth shut about this talent. Saiyans were not handy. Well that’s what they thought.

When Lord Frieza had asked for both of King Vegeta’s children, his father was in shock, believing that he had hid his disgraceful child well. So both Vegeta and Tarble reported to a private room where he was introduced to the Frostian Prince. Tarble was terrified, his social skills were not as defined as his brothers.

As his father and Frieza spoke, he remain quiet. He had lost track of the conversation, while his brother took in every single word. He wanted to ask Vegeta some questions before this, but there had not been time. He was confused by everything. Every word, every movement, languages, heck he swore that they were talking in a different one from time to time. After looking at his food for the longest time, he looked over to his brother only to find a look of disapproval staring back at him.

After the meal had finished, he hoped to get back to his room, only to be interrupted by a guard from Frieza’s army. He passed what looked like a scanner to the Frostian lord and he watched as the man equipped it, pressing a button on the side. The device began to spark and smoke came from the top.

“Hmm, these old scouters need replaced. This model is too old for the range they are trying to make them.” Lord Frieza said, removing the device. His father and brother were quick to agree.

Tarble, on the other hand, was fascinated by it. The only technology he ever got his hands on was the cheap toys he had in his room, most he couldn’t use anyway, and the log computers. As his father and Frieza spoke, he found himself removing the cover and looking at the weave of wires. He found the short quickly, looking over all the wires, noting the colors of each wire and were it went. Five minutes into his work the scouter beeped to life, no longer shooting sparks. He smiled to himself, not noticing the three pairs of eyes on him, till he looked up. Three looks of shock staring at him. His father looked mad, his brother looked confused. Lord Frieza’s shock turned into joy.

“Well, well, well…Tarble is it?” He nodded at the man. “Well Tarble I see that you have a gift with machines. How long have you been fixing things?”

Tarble looked down, shuffling his feet. “As long as I remember.” He mumbled, embarrassed from the sudden barrage of attention.

“Well, how would you like to use your talent, to benefit my army of course?”

Tarble still stood there confused, this was a dream… right? He looked up to his father and brother again seeing their eyes wide, they both looked just as confused as he did.

“There is a place you can stay, I believe that there is another Saiyan child there as well. A place where your mind can grow and you can work on machines all day long. How about it?” He smiled at the young prince.

“The boy is too young, Lord Frieza.” His father finally spoke up.

“He well be fine Vegeta. He is a Saiyan.”

“But...”

“I’m not asking you, I’m asking the child.” Frieza snapped at the Saiyan Royal. “So, Tarble, what is your decision?”

Tarble looked to his brother, the younger Vegeta still looked confused by all this, but finally spoke. “Lord Frieza, can I possibly see the place my brother will be staying?”

“Why off course, you may see the place, but unless he answers me he won’t be going anywhere.”

“I’ll go.” Tarble said, looking back down to his feet. “Brother, you don’t have to go, I’ll be fine.”

Frieza smiled down at the boy. “Well now that that is settled, why don’t you get your things together?” Tarble nodded and left the room.

“Lord Frieza, I will still be going. I want to make sure as Saiyan Royalty that my brother gets the best treatment, especially if he is making battle equipment.”

“Fine, you may come. I can’t guarantee you will enjoy the trip with so many people outside of your comfort zone. Fighting is not allowed in my sister’s court.”

“He will be with Lady Zera?” His father jumped in.

“Why yes. You battle hungry monkeys have no idea how many children wish they could be a part of my sisters collection.”

“Collection…..my brother is not a toy!”

“Vegeta! You will not talk that way to Lord Frieza!”

“Oh Vegeta, let the boy be, I’ll let him see that Tarble is in no danger and then he can return here. I know how you monkeys bond, he just wants to make sure the weakling is in safe hands. Now if you excuse me I need to contact my sister with her new arrival and Prince Vegeta you need to pack.” With that the Frostian Lord left.

Vegeta didn’t like this. Something about all of this seemed off. All he knew was if the place wasn’t safe, there was no way Tarble would be staying there. He would make sure of it.

* * *

Tarble heard the door open and saw his brother with a bag over his shoulder.

“Come on, we’re going to be late.” Vegeta said motioning to his brother to follow him.

They walked in silence to the ship. Lord Frieza was waiting for them.

“Tarble, why don’t you go with Zarbon to your resting quarters? There are some books waiting for you. Vegeta, you come with me. I can’t let your training slip can I?” Frieza said separating the boys.

Tarble followed the blue alien to his room, looking over to the table by the bed he saw mountain of books. Jumping on to the bed he picked up the first one thinking to himself ‘Finally I found where I belong.’

To Be Continued…


	5. Chapter 5

It had been good week for Raditz, he started a new project, got plenty of sleep, and had better meals during his Lady’s absence. He knew it wouldn’t last forever and she could return at any time so he kept to his regular schedule as to not be caught off guard. He also knew that Henzu, the maid, would also keep an eye on him. Watching his every move and reporting everything to Lady Zera.

He wondered how the new batch of children would fare. Sure, he was the only one here after three years, but he always wondered how long they would last? What planet would she raid this time? He was still the only Saiyan to have ever been in her home. He wondered if they had been tricked in the same matter as he had been. Had they too had a lack of affection? Did they had to hide their intelligence from their families? This didn’t mean he would ask them these questions. He really didn’t care about others in this hellhole. He was only concerned with his own safety. Besides, as the last group had shown, they had no respect for him. Of all the children to come to this house, he had not only survived the longest but was now the oldest. She never took anyone over 8 years old, which he was getting closer to his ninth birthday and within a month it would be his fourth year here.

Before sleeping this night, he wondered again with his back to the wall, how his family was doing? Did his mother worry? Did his father care? How was Kakarot growing? He found himself always asking these questions before sleep. He hated admitting that he missed his family, even his father. Even with their indifference to him, they never cut him open.

They never burned him. Raditz mind drifted as he stared now at the scar from the branding iron on palm of his hand. She had marked him after he was late for dinner one evening. It had happened only three months after his first screw up on the first day. He still remembered the smell of his burning skin. Her face as he screamed and the fact that as she pushed harder the louder he got. The mark was a reminder that no matter what, he belonged to her. With everything that had happened to him, he didn’t challenge the very notation of not being hers. He knew he would never get out of here.

As he rolled over onto his side with his back facing the door, he heard an all familiar sound. Henzu was opening the doors to the other dorms. He heard the rushing noise of many children, most talking to one another as they were assigned rooms. He then heard her voice telling them all to get a good night’s rest. The sounds of all the doors shutting and the hall growing quiet did not fool him. He closed his eyes pretending to sleep, all while hearing the door open. He heard every step as she got closer to him. He remained still as she started petting his hair, as she often did. He did not know why but before he knew it he had started to grow groggy. She smiled as he fell asleep. “I’m home, my little Saiyan.” She whispered as she left his room.

* * *

Vegeta was worn out. Frieza had kept him busy for days. The last time he had seen Tarble was the day they had left. He could tell what the man was doing. He was not stupid. He wanted the brothers to be separated. He wanted Vegeta to trust him. Sure, his power level had grown significantly, but he was worried about the weaker Saiyan.

Today, he had decided it was time to check on his younger brother, even if he was half dead on his feet. As he reached Tarble’s room, he noticed that the number of Frieza’s personnel seemed to grow. It seemed like they were guarding some sort of treasure rather than Saiyan Royalty. He was slightly impressed that his brother was being looked after, which was more than what he could say about his father’s caretakers.

Finally making it to his brother’s room, he paused seeing Tarble sitting on the bed reading a book. He didn’t look up, he just seemed mesmerized at the pages.

Vegeta cleared his throat prompting Tarble to look up from his reading.

“Sorry, I didn’t hear you come in.” Tarble said placing a mark in the book and setting it to the side. Vegeta just nodded at him as a long awkward pause entered the room.

Looking around the room, Vegeta noticed that one table had a few books on it while the other side of Tarble’s bed had a mountain of them. Putting two and two together, he realized that his brother was reading all this time. The books were not small either, he noted as he looked over one of the covers. It was in galactic standard, but he still could not fathom these older texts being of any use. Especially with the holo technology.

“How do you read all of these things? They look boring?”

“The same way you like fighting, I suppose.” Tarble snapped.

Vegeta looked shocked his brother had never talked back to him before. “You find by battle stories boring?”

“It’s just not my thing, stop worrying about something dumb.”

Again with the attitude. Vegeta didn’t like this. Tarble was calm, but he was sure his brother liked hearing his stories. He always seemed to follow every word he said, as if on the edge of his seat.

“Look if you never saw anything of the outside world, you would find your stories fascinating.” Tarble said, picking the book back up trying to find his place.

“It’s not dumb. My battles are not something as mundane as looking at some stupid wires.”

“If you feel that way why don’t you go back to training? Leave me alone.” Tarble looked at his brother with tears in his eyes.

Vegeta cursed himself. This has not gone according to plan at all. He was right Frieza had separated them to get them at each other’s throats.

“Just think about all of this, something is not right!”

“No it’s just not right because you’re not the center of attention!”

Vegeta knew there was no reasoning with Tarble right now. Turning his back to his brother, he decided to leave. Tarble would come around.

“Vegeta?”

He froze turning back to his brother. Showing no emotion on his face.

“Look I’m sorry, I’m just not use to this. It feels like a dream and I’m scared. Scared I’ll wake up back in my room.” Tarble said looking down.

Vegeta smirked at his brother. He knew he could never understand Tarble. He had always been adored by his family. Tarble on the other hand was a disgrace. They were opposites. “Why don’t I stay here tonight? We land in the morning and you can try to explain some of this to me.” He caved. He would never apologize to anyone, but he would spend some time with his brother. He would not let Frieza get the upper hand.

Tarble immediately brightened. Within two hours of Tarble explaining the workings of the ships engine both boys had fallen asleep. Not knowing what he future had in store for them.

To Be Continued…


	6. Chapter 6

He woke with a jolt. The screeching alarm hadn’t woken him in ages. He usually woke long before the noise. He rushed around the room wanting to get in and out of the washroom. He hoped he wasn’t late, he had not been punished as of late and wanted to keep it that way.

As he made it quickly down the hall to the all familiar washroom. He saw the new boys whom she had collected. This group was a race he had never seen before. Most with strains of blue and purple skin. They had trunks instead of noises, their eyes huge, and their mouths small. They seemed very talkative. Laughing as most did on their first day.

Raditz spared no time in washing and dressing, seeing all of them stare at him. He saw the usual shock. There was always a sense of confusion when it came to Raditz among other species. Saiyans were battle hungry tyrants with no concept of knowledge. Heck all their technology was either from the fall of the Tuffles or from Frieza at this point. So seeing a Saiyan in a facility meant for research always threw them for a loop. Moments like this made Raditz smirk. He never had what they call “Saiyan Pride,” but he couldn’t help but feel some sense of it, being an intelligent Saiyan.

Leaving the still shocked looks of the others behind, he made it back to his favorite place in the facility. Going back to his newly created project. He was trying to splice the DNA of several different species. All of which had been used on the battlefield before. As he worked, he heard the others, now being led by Lady Zera to the Laboratory. He paid them no mind; they wouldn’t be here long anyway.

“Now I expect everyone here to get their projects done in a timely manner. All of you have holo-screens with your name and what project you will be designated to. If you have any questions about how the process works read your manuals carefully before you ask them,” she said, turning to leave. “Raditz.” He jumped before turning to face her back. “Come with me for a minute.” He left his station, his heart beating fast. He didn’t do anything wrong, did he? His mind shifted through everything from the last week. She stopped just outside the door. He waited for the smack to the face, but was confused when there was none. Looking up, he was surprised to see what looked like a genuine smile on her face. “You were a good boy when I was away. Henzu informed me that you even finished. Virus 343.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He said trying not to sound confused or shocked by her behavior.

“Well, child, Frieza is on his way here, did you want to attend my meeting with him? I am most happy with you, and I just love rubbing salt in his wounds.”

“Ma’am?” Raditz was very confused, it seemed like they were having a normal conversation.

“Oh, he thought that you wouldn’t last long my dear,” she cooed petting his mess of hair. “Now clean up your station, we’re going to have lunch with him and his guests when they get here.”

“Guests?” he questioned before adding the “ma’am” before he forgot.

She smiled her usual smile. It was back to the smile that sent chills up his spine. He thought again that he made a mistake. She looked him in the eye, dragged her finger through his hair, then grabbing hold and pulled. He gritted his teeth before, knowing that he would have yelled out if he hadn’t. “That’s for almost forgetting your place.” She giggled. “Now these guests will be familiar to you.”

Familiar? How could anyone be familiar to him? “Ma’am, don’t mind me asking, but I don’t know anyone.”

“My child, it’s the Prince. The saiyan Prince Vegeta. He won’t be here long, but be on your best behavior, and don’t say a word about anything.” She said, pulling his face closer to hers. “Because if you do, I can make your life nonexistent.” Her eyes were aligned with his, he could see that she meant every word. If he messed up, he would die. He tried to look away, but knew it was impossible. His mind was racing, thinking of a way out of her wrath. Calming himself or at least putting on a face of calm, he finally spoke. “I will be on my best behavior, My Lady,” he said, trying to appease her.

The anger left her face and she smiled again that twisted smile. “Glad to hear it. Now come, we need to get you cleaned up,” she said, pulling her hand out of his hair, her hand was covered in blood. When had he started bleeding? She licked her hand clean as she took his free hand. She would have him clean his hair again, no one would know.

* * *

 

Both Princes were at the unloading dock with Zarbon looking after them. Vegeta couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had. To say Tarble was excited would be an understatement. As the ship docked in the bay, both brothers showed opposite emotions on their faces. Tarble had a look of pure excitement and fascination; Vegeta a look of dread. Lord Frieza joined them as they exited the craft and were greeted by a woman known as Henzu. Vegeta took everything in about the woman. She seemed reserved as any house servant should be, but something was off. Her smell was strange. There was a mix of iron, maybe blood, and a stench of something alkaline, maybe a cleaner. He understood the cleaner, but why the blood-like smell? A simple maid shouldn’t carry a sent like that, especially one of her race. Making a mental note, he hurried along with the rest of the group to the pod that would take them to Lady Zera’s home.

The ride was quiet with Tarble just taking in everything, Vegeta analyzing everything, and Lord Frieza watch both brothers. He knew convincing Tarble would be easy, but letting the other prince out of the sight of the older one would prove problematic. He did hope his sister still had the other saiyan child. She often took in children, most who had made some great breakthroughs in the last ten years, but she had a habit of letting them move on to other schools. She was in his mind too easy on them.

As they pulled up to the massive home, both saiyan children were impressed. Tarble because this was something new. Vegeta because of the utter size of it.

“It’s a large facility because of the Laboratory. It may be the best in the universe.” Frieza said to both brothers. “Henzu lead the way.” And the maid did. She led them to a large dining room. It certainly looked like the home of a royal. The large ceilings had intricate paintings on them, some looked to be painted with gold.

And there was their host. She had dressed herself accordingly. A saiyan boy was at her hip. Frieza seemed happy to find Raditz was still there. “Welcome to my home, I am Lady Zera and this is Raditz,” she said, placing her hand on the young saiyan’s hair. Walking forward, she bowed slightly to the older saiyan prince. “You must be Prince Vegeta, my brother has told me much about you. Quite a fighter you are.” She presented her hand forward.

Vegeta took her hand and bowed formally. Her scent was a powerful one. She smelled floral, but it wasn’t a natural smell. It was caked on. “Yes, I am Prince Vegeta, but this trip is not for me,” he said, looking passed her and at the other young Saiyan. Looking for any sign of discomfort or distain.

“Oh, so you’re here to see Raditz. He doesn’t see many other saiyans here. He’s so busy with his work.” She was silenced by Vegeta’s hand.

“I am here to find out if this is a suitable place for my brother, and I will be in your company until I reach a decision.”

Zera paled slightly, but nodded and turned to the other young saiyan. He was small and seemed distracted by the entire thing. This was the first time she had heard of Planet Vegeta having two princes.

“Well, Prince Vegeta, I must ask as my brother only informed me of your arrival, why your brother would be staying here?” She put on the facade she knew worked on everyone.

“Why don’t you ask him?” he said, turning the floor to his brother.

Tarble, still not use to attention, shuffled his feet. “Umm…sorry. Ma’am, I heard you have a place for people who are different like me,” he mumbled, keeping his eyes on the ground.

She liked this. The boy was already submissive to her presence. She heard a clearing of the throat. “It seems, Zera, that Raditz is not a fluke. This child is as knowledgeable about engineering as Raditz over there is about biology.” Raditz’s head perked up at this. Another saiyan like him. Another saiyan who was not a fighter. He locked eyes with Prince Tarble and he felt he could see it. A mind that could keep up with him.

“Well that is great news!” Zera looked ecstatic. “Raditz needs someone else of his kind around, and I bet with both of them here we could be unstoppable in this war.” Raditz looked to the older prince. He could tell that Vegeta was taking in everything she was saying. He may be a fighter, but he wasn’t stupid. “Well, why don’t we eat and speak more of this over lunch?” Zera said, leading her guests to the table.

Raditz looked again at the innocent Prince Tarble, someone who was like him. Raditz didn’t understand why, but at that moment he knew. He knew if Tarble was to stay here that he would protect him. He would not allow him to be tainted.

To Be Continued….


	7. Chapter 7

The meal went without issue. The saiyans remained quiet as they ate while the frostians talked. Raditz kept taking glances at his fellow saiyans. He noted Vegeta’s stern stare, he could tell the older prince was still not won over by Zera. Raditz wondered if the prince could see through Zera’s façade.

He had heard the rumors of Prince Vegeta when he was on Planet Vegeta. The Prince was a strong fighter, maybe even stronger than the King. He had been placed in advanced training programs, putting him with adult saiyans over other children. The prince was only a year younger than Raditz from what he remembered. His father was always going on about how they would have a proper King when he took the throne. Bardock had always detested King Vegeta and how he warmed up to Frieza. While his dad loved his missions, he had no trust in the Frostian Lord. It was no secret that the lower class saiyans preferred their Prince to the King. Prince Vegeta was a powerhouse who fought with his people. King Vegeta was a man that had not once stepped onto a battlefield. The man had a high power level, but he was often seen hoarding over his kingdom and siding with Frieza over his people. The fact that the King was afraid of Frieza also struck a chord with the other saiyans.

Even though Raditz detested his father, he couldn’t help but find Prince Vegeta’s presence reassuring. Just having him here meant that maybe he could get out of here. If there was only a way he could tell him everything so that Zera did not get her hands on Tarble.

“Raditz?” He was pulled quickly from his thoughts when Zera spoke. He turned to her, wiping his mind of all thoughts.

“Can you show Prince Tarble to the Dormitory?” she said confidently.

He was about to get up when he heard a clearing of the throat from across the table. “Excuse me, but I still have not said whether my brother will be staying here.” Her face sagged at the saiyan prince’s reply.

“Oh? I thought everything was to your liking,” she said, clearly thinking the dinner was enough to convince the Prince.

“Prince Vegeta be reasonable, my sister has let you into her home, I expect for you to show respect,” Frieza said, rising to his feet.

“Be reasonable? We are talking about my brother, I want to make sure that everything is with his best interest at heart,” Vegeta said calmly. Lord Frieza was about to speak again, but was cut off by the older prince. “I will be staying here to ensure that my brother has the best care possible, and if he does not, then it won’t just be my brother, I will also take the other saiyan with me,” he said pointing to Raditz. “Now, Raditz, was it?” Raditz nodded. “Show me and my brother to our room.” As Raditz got up from his seat he could feel Zera’s glare on his back. He motioned for his fellow Saiyans to follow him. Both Frostians looked at each other, livid.

* * *

 

Raditz remained quiet as he reached one of the rooms closer to his. He knocked on the door to the room as it was answered by two of the new boys. This was one of the few rooms with two beds. “You need to move your stuff to the other rooms down the hall,” Raditz said. He wanted the other saiyans as close to him as possible.

“Why do we have to move, you dirty monkey?” the boy sneered. Raditz was about to answer when he felt himself pushed to the side.

“A saiyan has told you to move, I would listen,” Prince Vegeta said with venom in his voice. His arms crossed, eyes clearly giving off a nonverbal warning.

The two boys looked to the angry Saiyan in front of them and decided to grab their things. When the boys entered the other rooms down the hall, all the saiyans entered the room together. Closing the door behind them.

“Well, it’s time, I believe, for proper introductions. Raditz, as you know I am Prince Vegeta and this is Prince Tarble,” he said sitting on one of the beds. “I expect new bed clothes by tomorrow,” he said pointing to the sheets.

The younger saiyan Prince seemed to bounce about the room. “How big is the laboratory?” Tarble asked, excitement in his voice. He was a lot less nervous now that he was out of the dining room.

“It’s massive. It’s the best part of this place.” He wasn’t lying, it was the only part of this place he did like.

“And what is the worst?” Vegeta said critically analyzing everything.

Raditz didn’t know what to say. If he told Prince Vegeta now he knew he would be punished; he knew she was watching. He would have to bide his time. “I would say it’s the shared washroom in the morning. I can’t stand having to look at those other things when I’m showering,” he said, lying through his teeth. He noticed that the older Prince grimaced; he knew that he had just been lied to.

“Well that’s not that bad,” Tarble said, cheerful as ever. The youngest Saiyan yawned. “Brother can we get some sleep? I want to see the lab tomorrow.”

“Alright, alright. You have had an eventful day.” Vegeta motioned for the other Saiyan to leave. Vegeta wasn’t very happy with being lied to. It didn’t sit well with him.

“Okay, I’ll see you both in the morning then.” He turned his back to leave both Princes, but froze with his hand on the knob.

“Yes?” Vegeta sounded irritated. He didn’t understand why the other saiyan was still standing there, especially after he had just lied to him.

Barely a whisper, Raditz gave them a warning. “Sleep with your back to the door.”

“Why?” Vegeta said with less annoyance was in his voice.

“The morning alarm signals when you get up,” he said, not looking away from the door nor turning to face them. “After you wake up, find me, I can show you to the washroom and the laboratory,” he said, finally turning the knob and leaving the room. Vegeta noticed the boy’s nervousness.

Something was going on here, something Raditz couldn’t say. The saiyan prince looked to his brother, seeing he had his back to the door, the boy already asleep. Turning his back to the door himself, Vegeta tried to wrap his head around Raditz’s warning. What was going on and why did Raditz feel that he had to keep quiet?

* * *

 

Closing the door behind him, he looked down the hall. She was standing there. His mind told him to run, but he knew that would be a stupid move. She motioned for him to come to her. He felt his body move without thinking. She turned, telling him silently to follow her. Again he didn’t fight it as she led him up the stairs far from the dorm rooms. As they entered a room, clearly hers, his heart froze when he heard the door close.

“So what did you talk about?” she questioned, her eyes filled with nothing.

“I just told them the schedule, Ma’am,” Raditz said quietly. She grabbed him, turning him to face her and stared at him looking for any sign of his treachery. She saw his fear, but no sign of him being unfaithful. She smiled at him.

“So you told them about the alarm then?” she said, petting his hair.

“Yes, Ma’am.” She smiled wider, pulling him closer to her.

“And the washroom?” she said close to his ear.

“Yes, Ma’am.” Her eyes seemed to brighten.

“Remember Raditz,” she said, running her fingers through his hair. “You belong to me.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he whispered. He knew it was true. As much as he hated her and wanted to leave here, he knew she controlled him.

“So why did you listen to that boy’s orders earlier?” she questioned, picking him up and placing him on the bed.

“I don’t know.” He really didn’t know why. Maybe it was Vegeta’s presence. His promise to remove him from her. Was it because he was a Saiyan?

He lay there asking himself these questions. She smiled, clearly seeing his confusion.

“You know Raditz…” He looked to her as she opened a drawer on the other side of the room. He knew what was coming. “You must be punished,” she said, pulling out a small needle and a match. “Lift your shirt,” she ordered and smile softly as he obeyed. She lit the match, putting the needle in the flame. She would burn him. She pushed the hot metal against his skin. Smiling more as she heard him try to hold in his pain. She slowly began to write her name into his skin. It hurt; he could smell his skin burning. The ugly smell made him want to throw up. She smiled, seeing him try to hold back his tears. He saw blood on the needle as it withdrew. He waited, expecting her to light a new match, but she didn’t. Instead she started affectionately touching his face. He was confused. She leaned down, pecking him on the forehead. “You know my child, you are growing into a handsome young man,” she said, wrapping her arms around him while humming a tune. “Sleep, we will stay here tonight,” she whispered, holding him. Still confused, he gave her what she wanted. Before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep as she petted his hair and continued the strange humming.

His last thought before he fell asleep was ‘I still don’t understand this?’

She looked down at the young, sleeping saiyan. “Raditz, no one will take you from me.”

To Be Continued…


	8. Chapter 8

His father was in the kitchen, he could definitely hear his voice. His mother was cooking a feast in celebration from the familiar sounds of her working. His father had returned successfully from a mission; this always guaranteed a feast. He walked into the kitchen seeing his mother’s back as she fried up the massive portions of meat. His brother was hitting the top of his high chair, anxious for his food.

“You should have seen them running Gine, cowards thought they could run…ha!” Bardock said, smirking. His smirk grew as Kakarot slammed his hands down on his tray. “That’s right son, they went splat!” slamming his own hands on the table to the delight of his younger son. His mother then came around, placing a plate in front of her husband and baby.

Raditz looked at them all. A happy family. They looked perfectly fine without him. He didn’t know if he should sit down at all. It would ruin their family moment. He looked down at his feet.

“Raditz, hurry up,” his mother said. He looked up at her, only to find her gone. The happy scene in front of him had disappeared. It was replaced with darkness. Shadows loomed around him laughing. His mother’s voice began to speak. “Why are you such a disappointment?”

“Mom?” he said, looking around franticly. “MOM?!”

“Only a fighter could be my son,” His father’s voice snapped in the darkness.

“Dad? Mom?” He was turning over and over walking in the darkness, yelling out for them to answer. He started running when a sharp melody began playing, almost hypnotic. The sound of floorboards creaking brought chills to his spine. He kept running even though it didn’t look like he was going anywhere. Suddenly a bright light appeared before him. His family was standing there.

“Kakarot, hehe. Look at him go, Bardock!” Ginne said, holding her youngest son as he tried to grab his father’s tail.

“Yep, that’s our son. Our only son,” Bardock said, taking Kakarot from Gine.

“Yes, our only son,” she agreed.

Raditz froze. Staring at the scene in front of him again. He could not deny it, they looked happy. They would always be happy…without him. A pair of strong arms wrapped around him. Their grip was too much for him to shake off.

A raspy voice spoke. “What did I say, Raditz? You belong to me.”

Raditz snapped awake. He was covered in a layer of sweat. He tried to sit up, but found he was still restrained. Looking around he saw Zera’s arms were locked around him. He guessed she was still sleeping; he was grateful for that. Knowing he could not move or risk waking her, he tried to calm himself back to sleep. Of course this was easier said than done. He could hear her steady breathing in his ear. She always liked his long hair, was always touching it. Something most saiyans mocked because it could easily be used against him if he were fighting. He almost laughed at himself. Him fighting, that would be as likely as Prince Vegeta dancing in a space opera. It would never happen.

He tried closing his eyes and emptying his thoughts, but he just couldn’t. He had too much going through his mind, especially the reminders of what would happen to him if he woke up a certain Lady. Trying to get the morbid thoughts to vanish as they clearly made his heart beat louder, he changed the subject of his thoughts.

His thoughts began to flow back to the dream he had clearly woken up to. His mother, father, and brother…it had all looked so real, it was as if he was really there. Maybe that’s how his family’s days had gone after he left. His mother didn’t have to fret over his injuries from school. His brother could get all the attention. His father could focus fully on the son he had always wanted. They had won with his departure. He began to feel sharp pains in his chest. They had never wanted him. Would it really be worth it to leave if Prince Vegeta asked? Sure he had to deal with the punishments, but it wasn’t so bad. Zera at least liked his company…

His mind froze…what was wrong with him? He hated this place. He hated her. There was no reason that he had to go back to his family if he got out of here. ‘But you would want to see them.’ His mind shot back at him. It was the truth. Maybe he could ask Prince Vegeta, of course there was a huge chance that Vegeta had never met any of his family.

He was shaken from his thoughts as he felt the arms around him recede. He was quickly turned from his side to his back in a matter of a second. She smiled down at him. “How did you sleep?” she yawned, petting his hair.

“I slept well, Ma’am. What time is it?” he asked, remembering his promise to the princes. He had told them that he would show them around in the morning.

“You’re okay child, it’s still three hours till the alarm rings,” she said, standing up and stretching her arms. She went to the closet to change her clothes, she had been wearing the same formal wear from the night before. After she left, Raditz sighed; he was relieved. He wasn’t late for the princes.

She came out of her closet dressed in a casual dress. He noted this only because Frostians rarely dressed. It was usually for show. Males and Females didn’t look much different. They just had different horns in their first forms and their voices were higher in pitch. He knew it was all for show with Prince Vegeta here.

“So what do you think?” she said, looking to Raditz while holding the skirt of the dress.

“You look good,” he said without thinking. At least his mind reacted in a way that wouldn’t get him punished. He saw her smile grow.

“Now come on, Raditz, why don’t we get some breakfast?” she said, grabbing his hand and dragging him out of the room. She was in a very good mood this morning. He didn’t understand why. She had someone in her home that could take her down, this was no time for her to be so chipper. Heck Raditz didn’t know if this was better or worse than when she was burning his skin with the needle last night. Well it was better from a pain perspective, but it kept him on his toes, like she could snap at just about anything.

Reaching the dining room, he saw that Henzu had already had her breakfast on the table. “Henzu be a dear and make something quick for Raditz.” He noted the maid’s look of indifference. They had gotten along for the most part. He really had no reason to talk with the maid, and she had no reason to talk to him. “Raditz is there anything you need today?” Zera asked. Her behavior was odd. He was taught to never ask for anything.

“I don’t need anything, Ma’am, but Prince Vegeta said he needed new sheets for him and Tarble,” he said quietly. He cursed himself when he heard a glass break.

“Did he now?” she said, her appearance darkening. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?” Her voice was uneven, every word spoken slowly. He knew he was in hot water.

“He said it was fine till this morning, Ma’am. I was going to tell you, honest,” He said, all panicked. He was terrified. She was picking up a large piece of the broken glass. His heart was thumping out of his chest.

“Raditz, come here.” His fear took over; he didn’t move. He heard Henzu giggle behind him. “Raditz, COME HERE!” Her eyes were large, her pupils like slits. Coming to his senses, overstepping his fear, he stood. He walked to her slowly. Each step made his feet feel like lead. As he got closer, he felt he could barely walk. His fear planting his feet in firmly with each step. His fight or flight reflex was screaming for him to run, but his mind knew. There was nowhere to run. As he took his final steps toward her, she grabbed his arm with breakneck speed, pushing the glass into the palm. He cried out in pain. He knew it was coming, but it didn’t make it hurt less. She twisted the glass shard. “You’re mine, Raditz!” she yelled at him, pushing the glass harder into his wound. He tried biting his cheek, but the pain was horrible. He was use to burning, maybe being cut, but not this. Tears came from his eyes. It felt like his throat was closing up, it burned from his cries.

“You’re mine,” she said again, only this time softly. “Henzu leave us. Get a new table dress, and a new one for me, I have dirtied myself.” The maid left, still giggling to herself. She sighed as the maid left, pulling the glass out of Raditz’s hand. He was shaking, too terrified to move or speak. She ripped a piece of the table cloth off, pushing down on his wound. “Shh. It’s okay, my child. Shh.” He was still shaking, he didn’t know how to respond. It had been a long time since he had been punished this roughly. He bled through the cloth quickly and she ripped off a new piece, pushing down on the wound harder. He made a muffled cry as she pushed. “It needs to close, Raditz. Shhh.” Her calming words didn’t seem to be working. He was too terrified, the chunk of glass was still so close to him. She sighed making him jump as she stood up, going to a drawer behind her. She pulled out some bandages and a bottle of peroxide. She could clearly see him shaking. His hand still sticking out in place. She walked back to him pulling the piece of table cloth from his wound. It was still bleeding, slower than it had been, so that was a good sign. “This is going to sting, Love,” she said softly as she wetted the bandages with the peroxide. She slowly placed the bandage over his wound. He cried out from the sting, trying to pull away as she held it down. He felt her wrap the wound up as the stinging died down. “See? All done,” she said, pushing his arm down and wrapping her arms around him. “You belong to me,” She cooed again, petting his hair as she hugged him. She began humming the tune she always hummed. Her hands moving slowly up and down his back, trying to soothe him. “You belong to me.”

His mind began to calm as she hugged him. He stopped shaking. His fear began to fade. He wrapped his arms around her. “Yes, I belong to you.” She smiled against his hairline. Kissing him softly on his forehead.

“Now let’s get you cleaned up.”

To Be Continued…


	9. Chapter 9

Tarble awoke with a start as a loud, screeching alarm sounded. He held his hands to his ears trying to block out the noise. As the sound began to fade, he found himself looking about the room. His brother seemed to be doing the same thing.

“What a rude wake-up call,” Vegeta said as he finally removed his hands which were covering his ears.

“They probably want to make sure we wake up on time, Brother,” he said, shaking his head.

“Well they better find a better way to do it. You have sensitive ears,” Vegeta said, turning his back to his brother to look through their things.

Tarble wrinkled his nose. “I wasn’t the only one covering my ears.” He noticed that Vegeta was ignoring his last statement, probably too distracted as he rummaged through the bag. Tarble crossed his arms, staring at his brother’s back, his face in a pout. “I know you heard me.”

Looking through the bag Vegeta could not help but smirk. His brother was always one to be shy, and, for the most part, the boy was rather humble. It was nice to see him acting like a proud saiyan, even if all his snark was directed at him. “Fine I heard it, too. Here,” he said, tossing Tarble some clothes from the bag.

Tarble was in a small state of shock, Vegeta never admitted anything, especially if he was in the wrong. Being frozen from the shock, he felt his shirt and pants fall on his head. He heard his brother’s short laugh as he turned around.

“Come on, that boy Raditz should be showing us around soon,” Vegeta said, clearly in a better mood. Tarble couldn’t help but smile. He couldn’t wait, he wanted to see the grounds.

As if his wish had been granted he heard a small knock on the door. Tarble raced forward to answer it, only to be blocked by Vegeta. His brother opened the door, and he saw the older long-maned saiyan standing there. “Ready?” Raditz said, looking at both brothers.

Tarble and Vegeta immediately followed the other saiyan as he led them to the washroom. “How full will the baths be? I wish for some privacy,” Vegeta plainly stated. Tarble noticed his brother’s signature scowl, a sign he was going to be hiding his emotions as they conducted this tour. Tarble sighed, earning him a glare from his brother.

“Well, at the moment there is just us and about nine or ten of those trunk guys. The washroom is pretty big. Most of them leave me alone, for the most part,” Raditz said as they got closer.

Tarble looked again at his brother as he nodded. Vegeta seemed to be taking in everything around him, looking at the walls. Checking paintings on the wall as they passed. Tarble guessed he was gauging their distance from the dorm. Tarble decided to try to look around as well. He found the paintings rather boring. Lady Zera really liked floral patterns for some odd reason. Not only did the paintings have flowers in them, but the rugs and tables had them woven or engraved into them as well. As he gathered all of this, he looked back to find Vegeta smirking at him, his eyebrows relaxed. Was his brother proud? He turned his head back to Raditz who was clearly still ahead of him. He began to try to read him like the elements of the house. His eyes wondered over his clothing, it looked like a basic uniform, nothing too special. Raditz’s hair was long even by saiyan standards, but he kept it well groomed. As he looked over the older saiyan, his brother was still securitizing the home itself.

“It’s in here,” Raditz said, pointing to door, a heavy fog of steam pouring out from under it. But while Vegeta looked to the door, Tarble’s eyes were still on Raditz.

“What happened to your hand?” Tarble asked, seeing the white bandage wrapped around the older saiyan’s hand. He couldn’t help himself, grabbing the other boy’s arm and looking at it.

“That? I…I had an accident… in the lab last night,” Raditz said, his face contorting in a way Tarble didn’t understand as he pulled his hand away from Tarble. He turned back to his brother, he looked impressed.

“I thought that you went straight to bed after dropping us off by our room?” the older brother inquired, he could see the older saiyan was lying again.

“Well…I…uhh,” the long haired saiyan stumbled over his words. “I…meant this morning. I get privileges for being here for so long.”

“Brother, maybe he lost too much blood?” Tarble asked, thinking that was the reason for the other saiyan’s erratic behavior.

“Yeah, I cut myself really bad, I’m working on splicing genes and the flask I was working with broke,” Raditz said quickly. Tarble seemed convinced, Vegeta on the other hand remained wary. “Well, anyway why don’t you clean up and I’ll show you the lab?” he said, placing his hand behind his head, a goofy grin appearing on his face. Tarble nodded opening the door. He turned back as he saw his brother had not moved.

“Tarble, go clean yourself. I will be there in a minute,” Vegeta said not looking at him.

“Okay, Brother,” he said, rushing into the washroom.

* * *

 

Vegeta looked at the lying saiyan. Back home a saiyan knew better than to lie to him. Had Raditz’s years with Zera turned him against the crown? Last night he looked like he wanted to tell the saiyan prince something, but now his eyes looked… Well, they looked dead. “So you bathed already?”

“Yes, I always do before I go in the lab.” Finally a statement that wasn’t a lie. He did note one thing though, Raditz’s eyes. He seemed to be looking all about the hallway as they spoke. Why?

“Why does one need to sleep with their back to the door?” he said bringing up Raditz’s warning from the night before. The other saiyan seemed to jump a bit, his eyes grew wide.

“I…I didn’t say anything like that, Vegeta, umm where…did you get something like that?” Raditz looked almost terrified as he looked around.

It suddenly hit Vegeta, like a bullet hitting a lead wall. They were being watched. Raditz was being monitored. The boy did not want to lie to him.

“My mistake then, I must have heard wrong,” the prince said. If he was being watched, he would wait. Eventually he would find out what was going on. He turned, heading into the washroom where his brother was waiting for him.

He looked over to the trunk faces in the corner. They seemed to all be gossiping rather than washing. “Brother, the showers are huge,” Tarble cheerfully pointed out. He couldn’t help but smirk at Tarble’s sense of wonder over something so insignificant.

“Come on, this isn’t play time,” he warned his brother as he began to walk towards the trunk faces. Tarble turned back and followed. They quickly showered on the other side of the room. Vegeta helped Tarble get his shirt on properly and they headed for the exit. As they left Vegeta noticed that the trunk faces were still talking in the corner, laughing. “Go ahead, I will meet you and Raditz outside.”

Tarble looked confused but nodded to him and left out the door.

Vegeta quietly made his way over to the other children. He had some questions, but stopped when he overheard their conversation.

“What is with all the saiyans here? I thought this place was for intelligent minds not dirty monkeys.” A parade of laughter went through the group.

“That one has been here for years, most of Zera’s students make it into some university, but what do you expect? I bet he was let in because they wanted diversity. Ha.”

“She probably took pity on him.”

“That short one was probably brought here as his replacement, you know, the new pet pity monkey.” Laughter erupted from the group.

They were so stirred up in their conversation that they didn’t see the older prince as he turned on the water with its coldest setting. All of them screamed as the freezing water hit them, making the saiyan prince smirk. They made to move from under the water, but he blocked their way. Vegeta had had enough with being lied to and these trunk faces gave him an excuse to mess with them. No one would ever mock the saiyan race in front of him, especially his brother. He waited till their clothes were drenched and they were shivering.

“Speak ill of my race or of my brother once more, and you won’t see the light of day again,” the older prince said, mocking the trunk faces before taking his leave into the hall.

“Brother? What took you so long?” Tarble questioned. “We were waiting for you.”

Vegeta laughed out loud. “Nothing Tarble, just having a chat.”

“Well, are we ready for the next stop?” Raditz said looking at both royals.

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, Brother,” Tarble said, grabbing Vegeta’s arm as Raditz led them to the lab.

To Be Continued…


	10. Chapter 10

Raditz tried to keep calm as he walked the brothers to the Laboratory. He was still conflicted with lying to both princes. He thought of telling Vegeta everything. His mind flashed back to this morning. The look in her eyes when she drove the piece of glass into his palm still had him shaking. He was grateful the princes were following him from behind. He knew Vegeta already suspected that something was up.

Turning the corner he saw the familiar glass door, beyond it he saw her waiting. Part of Raditz was wary of going anywhere close to her, the other half was happy to see her. Sure this morning she had hurt him, but didn’t he deserve it? He didn’t tell her everything when he should have. Maybe he was the one at fault.

“Here it is,” Raditz said, opening the door. He saw Tarble run passed him, a look of shock and awe on his face. If Vegeta was impressed he wasn’t showing it. “I should show you where your area would be,” he said, putting some space between Zera and them. She seemed to just be looking over some work from one of the stations. It belonged to one of the trunk faces.

“We wouldn’t be in the same area?” Tarble inquired.

“Well, no, your background is engineering; mine is biology,” Raditz pointed to a grid that marked the different sections. “The bio sections are in red, chemistry in blue, engineering in yellow, and physics in purple.”

“So I would be in yellow.” Tarble pointed to the large section on the grid farthest from the door.

“Yep, but sometimes I’m also in the chemistry section because someone needs help or the fields cross, I would say that you would probably get a good background in physics while you’re here,” Raditz said to the excitement of the smaller saiyan.

“What if there is an accident? How far is a medical wing from here?” questioned Vegeta, speaking for the first time since they had left the washroom.

“There’s med stations around the entire building. Most deal with the problems you would run into when working,” Raditz said glad this was something he could be honest about. “Like in the chemistry area there are eye wash stations.” Vegeta looked confused.

“Why would one need to wash their eyes?” the older prince huffed.

“Well, some of the chemicals I work with can be toxic or corrosive. Imagine getting that in your eye,” Raditz explained.

It seemed like a light bulb went off in the prince’s head. “Are you talking about the hydrochloric bombs we were just commissioned?”

“Yea, I made the solvent in them,” Raditz pointed out.

Vegeta seemed intrigued. Any battle-crazy saiyan would be when it came to those bombs. When the timer went off it spread a spray of acid that not only ate through skin, but solid steel.

“Hello, boys.” Lady Zera had snuck up to them while they had been talking. “I hope that everything has been to your liking.”

“It has!” Tarble said, he was definitely in love with the place.

“I still need some time, my brother’s safety and well-being is being judged. This Laboratory does seem to have the required medical stations. How many doctors are on standby?” Vegeta questioned.

“We have a physician that is on call.” Zera walked up placing her hand on the top of Raditz’s head. “Raditz here for the most part knows everything anyway so we barely use him.” Raditz blushed.

“You know healing requirements?” the older prince questioned.

Placing his hand behind his head blushing, Raditz nodded. “It came with my field of research, I had to come up with medpacks around two years ago and held on to the information.”

“The field medpacks?” Vegeta was again shocked.

“Prince Vegeta, what do you think this laboratory is for? Everything that is designed here is used in my family’s army,” Lady Zera boasted. “If you want I could have you take a look at the new armor sets. They’re much stronger than the last model.”

“No, I can wait till they are battle ready.”

“Good, I had Henzu get you new bed clothes. I am so sorry that you had to sleep on old ones, but I had no idea both of you would be staying with us,” she said, putting on a show. “I’m glad you got here early, but where are the others? The Bileltoians?” Looking around the lab, the trunk noses had not yet showed up.

“They had an issue with the baths,” Vegeta answered, smirking.

“Well why don’t you two go to the dining area? Henzu made quite a spread, and Tarble can start looking over projects tomorrow.” Zera knew how big saiyan’s appetites were.

“What about Raditz?” Tarble asked, looking to the older saiyan.

“I ate this morning. You and Vegeta get your fill,” Raditz said ruffling the younger saiyan’s hair.

“Well we will continue later. I wish to know everything you have made here,” Vegeta said smirking to the long maned saiyan.

Raditz blushed in embarrassment as he heard Henzu knock. “My Lady, you requested me?”

“Yes, can you take Prince Vegeta and Prince Tarble to the dining room?” Zera asked the maid.

“Yes, My Lady.” The woman bowed as she left with both princes following her.

She waited a couple minutes before looking down to him. “So everything seems to be going well, child.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” he said.

“Good.” She smiled down at him.

The door suddenly opened and the trunk faces looked about. Raditz could tell they were looking for Vegeta.

“Lady Zera, can I speak to you?” What looked to be the oldest one of the group spoke. He looked upset.

“Why, yes, child, what do you need?” she asked.

He looked to Raditz, expecting the saiyan to leave. Raditz didn’t move.

“Come on, child, speak up.”

“Well can certain people leave the room?” His eyes never left Raditz.

“Raditz is fine where he is. If there is anything you need to say to me, you can say it in front of him,” Zera said. She knew where this was going.

The boy looked to her and back to him. “Fine, why are there monkeys here? You said that this is a place for intellectual minds, but so far I have seen not one, but three apes.” The boy had a mocking smile on his face.

“And we were late because the aggressive monkey held us up in the washroom,” another cried.

“He soaked our clothes,” the older one said. After that they all began to speak. The room filled with complaint after complaint.

“QUIET!” The room went still. Raditz didn’t know how she would react. If it wasn’t for Vegeta and Tarble being here they would definitely disappear. “Raditz?” He froze. He didn’t do anything wrong. It was these long-nosed freaks.

“Yes, Ma’am?”

“Can you help me escort everyone up stairs? I believe we need to try to fix all of your attitudes.” She smiled at the freaks, while Raditz knew something was up. He knew what was upstairs. Would she dare with Vegeta and Tarble here? He was about to nod and do as she asked when he was interrupted.

“But, Lady Zera, these saiyans are scum,” the older trunk nose said. Murmurs of agreement flowed through the group.

“Boys, boys, I assure you that Raditz here is here for the same reasons you are all here. He has proven his skill with his track record. The other two are saiyan royalty and they will not be treated unfairly, unless you want my brother to target your planet for resell. Now, come now I want you all to be friends. Let’s take the day off and go upstairs. You all have been working since you arrived.” They quieted down with the threat of their planet on the table. “Now, go on ahead to the top children,” she said as the trunk noses left as a group leaving her and Raditz in the lab. She smiled, petting the top of his head. “Come now, I need your help.”

He nodded and left with her. They walked in silence to the top of the stairs. He was about to walk up the final step when her arm came out, telling him to stop. “Shh. They should be out in a couple more seconds.” As she said it Raditz heard several thuds. He turned up to her, seeing the dark features of her face sticking out. Her eyes had gone wild. They walked into the top floor parlor and Raditz saw every one of the trunk faces were knocked out. She walked away from him, punching in the key code. The secret door opened. “Help me get them all in here,” she said, picking up two of the boys and shackling them to the walls. Raditz didn’t ask questions and helped her move the freaks into the hellish room. The smell after all these years still made Raditz want to gag. It was a mix of blood, urine, feces, and death. As he tied up the last boy, he noticed she was staring at him. “You have done well,” she said, her face still psychotic. He nodded.

She pushed a button behind her. Closing the door. His heart began to race. He had done everything she had asked, right? Why was he in trouble? Was she going to kill him? He started shaking, hoping that wasn’t the case.

She opened her arms. “Raditz, come here,” she said it nicely, but he was still fearful. This room, along with the years of abuse, especially this morning, had taken a toll on his mental stability and he was frozen in fear. “It’s okay, Love. I am only praising you,” she said, moving forward herself and wrapping her arms around him. He jumped when she touched him. “Shh…It’s okay.” She kissed his forehead.

He began to calm, returning her embrace. “Ma’am, are we finished?” he asked. “With them I mean.” He pointed to her new victims.

She smiled. “Yes, they are finished, Raditz.” She released him from her hold and turned around, getting into a cabinet. Raditz froze again when she pulled out a scalpel. She grabbed his arm, he closed his eyes waiting for the pain, but none came. He opened his eyes slowly, seeing her smiling down at him. She placed the instrument in his hand and turned him around facing the older trunk nose that had spoken badly of him. “You are the most intelligent person here,” she said behind him, rubbing his shoulders. “Teach him his place,” she whispered in his ear.

It hit him. What she wanted him to do. She wasn’t going to punish him. She was giving him affection; she was on his side. She walked over to the wall where the others were shackled up, still knocked out. She pushed a code into a panel and the wall turned into another room. The room she had shown him on his first day. They were safely stashed away, leaving the older trunk nose on the table. “Why don’t we wake him up?” she said, going back to the cabinet and grabbing a small bottle and a syringe. She filled it and injected the boy. Raditz watched, within seconds the boy came to.

“Where am I? What is this? Zera?” the boy franticly cried.

“It’s Lady Zera, to you, simpleton.” Raditz saw the fear in the other boy’s eyes. It bothered him. “Raditz, you may begin,” she said, her smile cruel.

Raditz looked to her again, he knew he would have to kill the boy, it was him or Raditz, but the scalpel in his hand didn’t feel right, if he had to kill, he wanted it to be fast. “Ma’am?” She gave him a look that sent chills down his spine. “I know I shouldn’t be picky, but can I use something else?” Her features calmed.

“Why, yes. Come here.” He gave her back the scalpel and she opened up the cabinet. “Pick what you want.” He looked over everything. This would be the first time he would take a life. He heard the boy on the table yell out, wanting free. He felt panicked, but was calmed as she started petting him. “Because it’s your first, you can make it fast,” she said softly. Getting her permission, he grabbed the largest knife. Her eyes lit up. Raditz walked slowly over to the table, as the boy screamed. Raditz tried not to look at his face. He placed the knife at the boy’s neck, pushing down, and slicing into the boy’s throat. He heard the gargling nose as the boy’s breathing became labored. He felt tears forming at his eyes as he watched the blood leak off of the knife onto the floor. Seconds later the gargling stopped, and he knew the boy was dead. He wanted to throw up. He began shaking, dropping the knife on the floor. He couldn’t hold it, he lost it; getting the floor dirty with what was left of his breakfast. He felt a force behind him. “You did nothing wrong, Love,” she said, hugging him. “He had to die, he was not perfect.”

Raditz looked up to her. Her eyes were full of nothing but praise and love. She loved him, she was the only person who cared about him. He belonged to her.

To Be Continued…


End file.
